1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a sealed electrical connector assembly for use in interconnecting a plurality of wires on opposite sides of a bulkhead or wall and more specifically is related to a sealed electrical connector assembly consisting of two multicontact electrical connectors and an immediate header located in a wall or bulkhead of a tank such as a fuel tank in an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional electrical connectors used for automotive applications typically employ both a secondary lock and terminal position assurance features. A secondary lock comprises a separate locking member which is secured to an insulative housing to insure that electrical terminals are properly retained in the insulative housing of the electrical connector. Secondary locks are commonly used in conjunction with resilient latches which form an integral portion of the insulative body. Typically, electrical terminals are crimped to conductors, such as insulated wires and then inserted into an insulative housing. These conductors deflect resilient housing latches during insertion. Upon complete insertion the latch is then free to return toward its initial position and lock the terminals in place. In addition to providing a primary locking system using a resilient housing latch to engage the terminals, most automotive connectors also employ a secondary lock which is assembled to the insulative housing after insertion of the terminal. This secondary lock acts independently of the resilient housing latch to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the terminal from the housing.
In addition to employing secondary locking members, most automotive connectors also include terminal position assurance features which prevent engagement of a secondary lock when the terminals are improperly positioned within the housing. For example, a secondary lock without terminal position assurance features could be attached to a housing before the terminal is fully inserted and is positioned where the secondary lock will not engage the terminal and where the resilient latch will not engage the terminal.
Two types of secondary locking members are commonly used on automotive connectors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,736 discloses an electrical connector in which a secondary locking member, which can engage recesses on terminals, is inserted from one side of the housing to lock the housing in place. Another common locking member is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,542 which discloses the use of a separately insertable wedge member which is received behind the integral latch arms and prevents these latch arms from being deflected out of engagement with a corresponding terminal. If the integral latch arms used in that type of locking system are deflected, the separate wedge member cannot be inserted.
Although many conventional automotive electrical connectors are used in applications where sealing is unnecessary, there are a large number of applications in which sealing integrity must be established not only around the wires but also at the interfacial surface where the connectors mate. Conventional connectors such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,350 employ family seals comprising a single elastomeric member with a plurality of holes. These seals establish a sealing intergrity with the wires extending through the holes. Sealing at the interface of the connector can be established by use of a gasket type seal such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,350 or by the use of a discrete O-ring or peripheral seal. Although the addition of seals to an electrical connector increases the complexity of the connector, secondary locking and terminal position assurance remain desirable features of sealed as well as unsealed connectors.